Cab and fasteners for vehicle cab

ABSTRACT

A utility vehicle including a cab assembly, a roof assembly, a windshield assembly, a rear window assembly, and two or more couplers attached to one or more ROPS members. The couplers are each aligned with and are releasably connected with a buckle insert attached to one or more of the roof assembly, windshield assembly, rear window assembly and doors of the cab assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/839,516 filed Apr. 3, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/927,719, filed Mar. 21, 2018, titled “Cab andFasteners for Vehicle Cab”, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,717,474 issued Jul. 21,2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/474,556, filed on Mar. 21, 2017, and which applications areincorporated herein by reference. This application is also related tothe subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/927,524, filedMar. 21, 2018, titled, “Off-Road Utility Vehicle”; having inventorsDevin Joseph Danielson, Adam Christian Krone, Nathan Len Wiater, AaronLee Swanson, Erick John Halvorson, Douglas Robert Grangroth, Kevin JamesMiller, Jared Richard Spindler, Leigh Raymond Collyer, Donald ScottHansen, and Joseph Patrick Wood, the contents of which are hereinincorporated by reference.

SUMMARY

A utility vehicle including a cab assembly, a roof assembly, awindshield assembly, a rear window assembly, and two or more couplersattached to one or more ROPS members. The couplers are each aligned withand are releasably connected with a buckle insert attached to one ormore of the roof assembly, windshield assembly, rear window assembly anddoors of the cab assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numeralsmay describe similar components in difference views. The drawingsillustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation,various embodiments discussed in the present document.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a partial utility vehicle, accordingto some embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a partial utility vehicle, accordingto some embodiments.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a partial utility vehicle, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a partial utility vehicle, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of a roof assembly, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 6A shows a bottom perspective view of a roof assembly, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 6B shows a top perspective view of a roof assembly, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of couplers, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a roof assembly, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 9 shows a partial perspective view of a windshield assembly,according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 10A-D show views of buckle inserts and couplers, according to someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in perspective views FIGS. 1-2 and exploded views FIGS. 3-4, autility vehicle 10 comprises at least a cab assembly 12 which, in someembodiments, includes one or more doors 14, rear window assembly 16,windshield assembly 18, and roof assembly 20. In some embodiments, oneor more of the doors 14, rear window assembly 16, windshield assembly18, and roof assembly 20 are removable from the utility vehicle 10 byremoving or actuating a fastener.

With regard to FIGS. 5 and 6, in some embodiments, the roof assembly 20includes a rear roof portion 22 and a front roof portion 24. The rearroof portion 22 and front roof portion 24 can be fastened together,integrated, or isolated components. In some embodiments, the roofassembly 20 further includes one or more ROPS (Rollover ProtectiveStructures) couplers 26. In some embodiments, the ROPS couplers 26 havea profile that engages the ROPS tubing or members such that the ROPScouplers 26 can be secured to the ROPS tubing using one or morefasteners 28 (see FIG. 7). In some embodiments, a securing member 30 iscoupled to the ROPS couplers 26, for example, and/or one or morefasteners 28. The securing member 30 can comprise a flat plate ofmaterial, however other shapes are also permissible.

Returning to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the roof assembly 20 furtherincludes one or more buckle inserts 32. The buckle inserts 32 can beattached to the roof assembly 20 at a first surface and releasablycontacted with buckle retainers 34 at a second surface. The buckleinserts 32 can be selectively held in place by the buckle retainers 34or removed from the ROPS couplers 26 by pressing on a portion of thebuckle retainer 34 to release the buckle insert 32. In some embodiments,the buckle retainer 34 includes a barb portion (not shown) that catcheson an aperture 36 in the buckle insert 32. Upon pressing on a portion ofthe buckle retainer 34, however, the barb portion releases the aperture36 and the buckle insert 32 can be selectively removed from the ROPScoupler 26.

In turn, the buckle inserts 32 are attached (e.g., by one or morefasteners) to one or more portions of the rear window assembly 16,windshield assembly 18, and/or rear roof portion 22. Complementarycouplers 26 are positioned on the ROPS tubing or members to releasablycontact or connect via buckle retainers 34.

As further shown in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the roof assembly 20further includes one or more standoff members 38 which are coupled tothe rear roof portion 22, for example via one or more fasteners. Thestandoff members 38 can be formed form bent sheet metal, for example.

FIG. 6A shows a bottom or underside view of a rood assembly 20. One ormore buckle inserts can be positioned near the perimeter of the roofassembly or in alignment with an ROPS tubing adjacent the roof assembly20. FIG. 6B shows a top view of roof assembly 20. FIG. 8 shows aperspective view of an example roof assembly 20 with coupler 26attached.

As discussed above, the couplers 26 can be additionally positioned onone or more of doors 14, rear windshield assembly 16, and windshieldassembly 18. FIG. 9 shows four couplers attached to ROPS tubing at awindshield assembly 18. The buckle inserts 32 are releasably orremovably connected to buckle retainers 34. As shown in the figure, thewindshield assembly can be removed by engaging the coupler 26 at buckleretainer 34.

FIGS. 10A-B show a coupler 26 assembly 26 in an engaged (FIG. 10B) anddisengaged (FIG. 10A) position. In the engaged position, the buckleinsert 32 is releasably secured within buckle retainer 34 of coupler 26.By physically contacting the buckle retainer 34 (such as by pushing,pulling, pressing, etc.), the buckle insert 32 is released from coupler26 (disengaged position shown in FIG. 10A). FIGS. 10C-D show engaged anddisengaged positions when the buckle insert 32 is attached to a roofassembly 20.

What is claimed is:
 1. An off-road vehicle comprising: a cab; aplurality of roll over protection system (ROPS) members positionedaround a periphery of the cab; a plurality of ROPS couplers, each ROPScoupler is secured to one or more ROPS members at a proximal end andeach ROPS coupler including a recess at a distal end for receiving abuckle insert; and a windshield assembly including one or more buckleinserts, wherein each buckle insert is selectively releasable from oneof the plurality of ROPS couplers.
 2. The off-road vehicle of claim 1,wherein each ROPS coupler includes a buckle retainer for securing abuckle insert.
 3. The off-road vehicle of claim 2, wherein each buckleinsert includes an aperture for securing with the buckler retainer ofthe ROPS coupler.
 4. The off-road vehicle of claim 1, wherein theplurality of ROPS members comprises tubing.
 5. The off-road vehicle ofclaim 1, wherein the ROPS couplers each further comprise a fastener forsecuring the ROPS coupler to a ROPS member.
 6. The off-road vehicle ofclaim 5, further comprising a securing member positioned between theROPS coupler and the ROPS member.
 7. The off-road vehicle of claim 6,wherein the securing member contacts both the coupler and the fastener.8. An off-road vehicle comprising: a cab; a plurality of roll overprotection system (ROPS) members positioned around a periphery of thecab; a plurality of ROPS couplers, each ROPS coupler is secured to oneor more ROPS members at a proximal end and each ROPS coupler including arecess at a distal end for receiving a buckle insert; and a rearwindshield assembly including one or more buckle inserts, wherein eachbuckle insert is selectively releasable from one of the plurality ofROPS couplers.
 9. The off-road vehicle of claim 8, wherein each couplerincludes a buckle retainer for securing a buckle insert.
 10. Theoff-road vehicle of claim 9, wherein each buckle insert includes anaperture for securing with the buckler retainer of the coupler.
 11. Theoff-road vehicle of claim 8, further including a detachable roofassembly including one or more buckle inserts, wherein each buckleinsert is selectively releasable from one of the plurality of ROPScouplers.
 12. The off-road vehicle of claim 8, wherein the plurality ofROPS members comprises tubing.
 13. The off-road vehicle of claim 8,wherein the ROPS couplers each further comprise a fastener for securingthe ROPS coupler to a ROPS member.
 14. The off-road vehicle of claim 13,further comprising a securing member positioned between the ROPS couplerand the ROPS member.
 15. The off-road vehicle of claim 14, wherein thesecuring member contacts both the coupler and the fastener.
 16. Anoff-road vehicle comprising: a cab; a plurality of roll over protectionsystem (ROPS) members positioned around a periphery of the cab; aplurality of ROPS couplers, each ROPS coupler is secured to one or moreROPS members at a proximal end and each ROPS coupler including a recessat a distal end for receiving a buckle insert; and a roof assemblyincluding one or more buckle inserts, wherein each buckle insert isselectively releasable from one of the plurality of ROPS couplers. 17.The off-road vehicle of claim 16, wherein each ROPS coupler includes abuckle retainer for securing a buckle insert.
 18. The off-road vehicleof claim 16, wherein each buckle insert includes an aperture forsecuring with the buckler retainer of the ROPS coupler.
 19. The off-roadvehicle of claim 16, wherein the plurality of ROPS members comprisestubing.
 20. The off-road vehicle of claim 16, wherein the ROPS couplerseach further comprise a fastener for securing the ROPS coupler to a ROPSmember.